Due course

Give judicial system time in Zimmerman case

By now, Trayvon Martin's name is known throughout the country, as his fatal shooting at the hands of an armed neighborhood watch guard has been the subject of unprecedented debate and publicity. The shooting death of the black teenager by a man of Hispanic descent has fueled an emotional debate that has opened the wounds of racial prejudice, racial profiling, perceptions of young black men and the right to bear arms.

But today George Zimmerman is in a Seminole County jail facing charges of second-degree murder. Before Wednesday's arrest, Mr. Zimmerman, his attorneys and his family had argued that Zimmerman, who had a concealed weapons permit, shot and killed Martin because he felt threatened.

But now the case is exactly where it needs to be: fully investigated and in front of the judiciary.

For more than a month following the Feb. 26 incident, blacks and whites across the country staged protests and rallies in an effort to get Florida prosecutors to take the case seriously and to call for justice.

So, it's important now that emotion is put in check and that the judiciary is allowed to do its work without public pressure or outside interference. The overwhelming public outcry caused Gov. Rick Scott to appoint Special Prosecutor Angela Corey of Jacksonville to take over the investigation after Sanford authorities declined to file charges in the case or even present it to a grand jury.

Ms. Corey, a tough-as-nails prosecutor who has a reputation for supporting law enforcement in prosecutions, took charge of the case. Her investigators interviewed witnesses, reviewed the evidence and decided there was enough evidence to establish probable cause for an arrest on second-degree murder charges. Mr. Zimmerman now will have his fate decided in what is expected to be a long, drawn out courtroom battle. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison for the shooting death of Mr. Martin.

All sides in the case should allow the legal system to take its course. Justice demands that the rights of Mr. Zimmerman and the rights of Trayvon Martin's parents be fully respected. Justice should take place in a courtroom that is unblemished by public pressure.

In the courtroom, truth must surface. Ms. Corey will have to present enough evidence to convince a jury beyond reasonable doubt that a conviction is warranted and Mr. Zimmerman's attorney will get his chance to counter those charges.

This is how it should be, heard and determined by our judicial system, not through letters to the editor, social media or through demonstrations.

It is this country's system of determining justice. And that system must be recognized and respected.

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Due course

By now, Trayvon Martin's name is known throughout the country, as his fatal shooting at the hands of an armed neighborhood watch guard has been the subject of unprecedented debate and publicity. The